Jessica brings 24 years of special education experience supporting students, educators, and systems across the full continuum of services. A graduate of Illinois State University in Communication Sciences and Disorders, she began her career as a speech-language pathologist and went on to serve as an SLP coordinator, program supervisor, and special education administrator. Her work has spanned early childhood through adult transition, giving her a deep understanding of how services, instruction, and systems intersect over time.
Jessica is known for providing practical, collaborative support that helps schools move from compliance to clarity—building sustainable, student-centered solutions that work in real classrooms. She values strong partnerships with educators and believes effective systems are grounded in both evidence-based practices and respect for the people implementing them.
In her role as Program Administrator for the Autism Professional Learning & Universal Supports (A+) Project, Jessica leads statewide efforts to deliver high-quality professional learning, coaching, and technical assistance to school teams across Illinois. She collaborates closely with the Statewide Director, project staff, and partners to support grant implementation, guide regional coaching systems, and ensure that resources and professional learning are evidence-based, accessible, and aligned with educator needs. She oversees regional autism coaches and supports their work with school teams to build capacity and improve fidelity of autism evidence-based practices, with a focus on sustaining implementation and strengthening systems over time.
Outside of work, Jessica lives on a rural central Illinois mini-farm with her husband and two college-age children. She enjoys reading, boating, camping, gardening, and live music.